Electrotherapeutic instrument.



T. LIDBERG. ELECTBOTHERAPEUTIG INSTRUMENT.

APPL ICATION FILED MAR. 4. I9I8f Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I T. LlDBE RG.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 4, 1918.

Patented July 16, 1918 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

fiodaf zderg TIODOLF LIDIBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Original application filed December 18, 1916, Serial No. 137,488.Divided and this application filed March 4,

1918. Serial No. 220,129..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIonoLr Lrnnnno, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectrotherapeutieInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrotherapeutic instrumentsfor orificial application, whereby to maintain constant, any desiredtemperature, of the operative portions of the instrument, preferablybelow that required to cauterize or directly destroy the tissues withwhich it may be brought into contact.

This is a divisional application from my copending application, filedDecember 18th, 1916 and bearing Serial No. 137,488.

One of the especial objects of my invention is to provide an instrumentof this character adapted for medical treatment, and especially fororificial application, whereby to automatically maintain a constant, butregulable temperature, by means contained in the heated zone, orpreferably within the applicator of the instrument, near the point ofapplication, and to provide, in such an instrument, a heat-responsivetemperature indicator, preferably within the applicator, and having anexterior portion located outside of the applicator, provided withsuitable graduations that it may be visible at all times to the operatoror at tending physician, whereby the temperature of the applicator isindicated.

Another object of my invention is to provide two or more applicators,capable of being connected together and automatically controllable to'maintain, substantially, constant temperature by a single heatresponsive regulator.

Other, and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent,to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the followingdescription when taken in eonjunetionwith the drawings, wherein Figure 1is an elevation of the instrument, showing parts in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section. taken on line 3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section. of two interconnectedinstruments controlled by the same heat-responsive regulator.

In all the views the same reference char actors are employed to indicatesimilar parts.

Briefly, the instrument consists of three major portions, 10 the handle,11 the applicator, and 12 the intermediate visible indi cating portion.Specifically the handle 13 is made of insulating material, such as hardrubber or fiber and on its outer end it is provided with a cap 14 forthe conducting wires 15 and 16. It is bored axially for twosubstantially parallel, supporting rods 17 and 18, preferably of brassor the like, having on their lower ends wire-clamping screws 19 and 20,for the wires 16 and 15, respectively. The rod- 18 extends to the innerportion of the applicator 11, and is preferably, reduced in size, as at21, and contains on the reduced end an electric heating element or coil22. The inner end of the coil 22, is connected by a nut 23 to the rod18, as at 24. Another nut 25 secures a switch spring 26 to the end ofthe rod 18 for con nection to a member 27 of the insertible spring jackplug 28. The other rod, 17, is parallel with, but separated from the rod18 and each of the rods 17 and 18, are covered, preferably, with arelatively thin tube of hard rubber 29 and 30, or like insulatingmaterial, respectively. This coating extends throughout the indicatingspace 12. The upper end of the rod 17 is threaded, as at 31, by which tosecure an adjustable spring blade switch member 32, which consists of aspring, bent to form a knee 34, the

laterally extended part being secured to the threaded end of the rod 17,by the threaded end and the nuts 35 and 36. The upper end of the switchmember 32 carries a contact point 37, preferably of platinum, or thelike. Fixed to the rods 17 and 18, as by screws 39, 39 is an applicatorhead 38. --"The head 38 is perforated for an axially movable rod 40 thatbears against the knee 34, of the switch member 32. The rod 17, and thetubular jacket 29 covering it, are transversely perforated for a tensionadjusting screw 41. The end of the screw 41 is pointed, as at 42, whichpoint engages the lower end of the axially movable rod 40, whereby toadjust the lateral posit-ion of the upper end of the switch member 32,thereby to determine the temperature of the applicator. Fixed to theother end, of the adjusting screw 41, is an insulating thumb button 43,by which the adjusting screw may be rotated. When the screw is' rotatedin such a direction as to cause it to pass farther through the rod 17,

of the switch member 32, and having 'on its opposite side a blade 48having a greater temperature expansion coeflicient than the i blade 45,such as bronze, or the like, is secured to a plate 49, as-by screws 50.The plate 49 is in turn connected to rod 18 by means of a screw 51. Aswitch spring 49 extending to the top of the instrument is fixed to therod 18, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, by screws 52. The fixed end ofthe temperature responsive bar is insulated from the plate 49, in theusual manner, as by orcelain, or fiber plates 45'. The metal b ade 45,of the expansion bar, is provided with a clamping screw 53 to which theblade 49' is connected, as by wire 54, the blade being insulated fromrod 18' by a fiber or other block 52. The free end 55 of the heatingcoil 22, is also connected to this binding screw 53, as by wire 55. A

From the foregoing description the electric circuit may be traced fromthe conductin wire 15 of the duplex cord, through the r0 18, to thewire24, and from thence to the heating coil 22, and by .wire 55 to theclamping screw 53 and from thence through the plate 45, of the expansionbar, to the contact 47, thereof, and when the temperature within theapplicator is not sufficient to warp the expansion bar so as to preventconnection between the contact 47 of the bar, and the contact '37 of therelatively stationary switch member 32, the circuit will be continuedthrough these connected contacts, and the switch member 32, through therod 17, thence to the wire 16 of the duplex cord. A socket 56 contains alamp 57, in series with the wires 15 and 16 and is provided withconducting wires 58 and 59, of a duplex cord, for'connection with thesource of electric supply. The lamp 57 may be contained in series withthe thermo-electri'c device, when the potential of the circuit of thesource of electric supply is higher than is demanded by the heating coilof the appara from which the current is to be taken, is

suitable for the heating coil 22 alone, the lamp 57 may be entirelydisposed with.

A thermometer tube 60 is passed through and secured in the head 38, andhas its re duced end 61, containing the expansive liquid in practicalcontact with the heating coil 22, and has its graduated end 63, toindicate the higher temperatures within the indicating zone 12, theextreme end 64 of which is passed into and secured in a suitable orificeprovided in the handle 13. In the practical operation of the instrumentthe portion of the thermometer which is contained within the indicatingregion 12, of the instrument, is that portion of the range of thethermometer that is above normal atmospheric temperature. The outerportion or cover of the applicator consists of a tube 65, preferably ofbrass, or other similar metal,

which overliesthe operative end of the thermometer, the heating coil,and the temperature regulator, and has its lower end secured to the head38, by suitable screws, 66. The upper end of the applicator 65, isprovided with a removable screw cap 68, which is adapted to be removedfrom the applicator and another screw cap 69, in many respects similarto the screw cap 68, substituted in its place.

The spring blade 49' constitutes a part of the plate 49, and extendsvertically, substantially parallel with the heating coil 22, and has itsremote end inturned, as at 70, to provide a means for connection to theterminal 71 of the spring jack switch plug 28. The switch plug terminal71 is connected to a wire 72, and the switch ring'or terminal 27, isconnected to a wire 73, for connection to another applicator of similarcharacter, or to an applicator 74, as shown in Fig. 6.

One form of applicator 74 consists of a two part tube 75 and a curvedportion 76, screwed together, as at 77, or otherwise separably united.The curved portion is provided with a heating member or coil 78.

' The upper end of the heating coil 78 is'connected to a rod or wire 79, as at 80. The other free end being connected-to a terminal 81, in theinsulating head 82. The rod, or wire 79, is connected to a terminal 83.A terminal plug 86 has cotiperating terminals 84 and 85, respectively,so as to be removed from the head 82, to connect and to disconnect theheating coil 7 8. The wires 72 and 73, of a duplex cord, are connectedto the terminals 84 and 85, respectively, and are also connected to theterminals 27 and 71 of the spring-jack plug 28. 'When it is deinstrumentcontaining the current-regulator may be hung upon the wall or supportedin any other convenient manner adjacent to the position of theapplicator 74.

While I have herein shown a single embodiment of my invention, for thepurpose of clear disclosure, it is manifest to persons skilled in theart that many. changes may be made in the general arrangement andconfiguration of the parts within the scope-of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim 'is: I p

1. An electro-thermic applicator comprising a heating element; aheat-responsive, current-controlling regulator; a graduated temperatureindicator, and a tube, or jacket coverin said instrumentalities, thegraduations oi said indicator extending outside of said jacket.

2. An electro-thermic instrument comprising a hollow applicator, at oneend, and a handle at the other end; a graduated thermometer tube havingits liquid-containing bulb within the applicator and its other endsecured to the handle, the intermediate graduated portion visible withinthe open space between said applicator and handle and a heat-responsivecurrenteregulator within said applicator.

3. An electro-thermic instrument coming element inclosed by by a handleat the other end of the instrument; a graduated thermometer tube, havingits liquid-containing bulb within said tube, with its other endextendingto and secured in the handle, the intermediate, graduated portion ofsaid thermometer being visible ing an applicator, consisting of aheating element inclosed by a tube, at one end and supported by a handleat the other end of the instrument; a graduated thermometer tube havingits liquid-containing bulb within said applicator tube with its otherend extending to and secured in the handle, the intermediate, graduatedportion, visible within the open space between said tube and handle; aheat-responsive regulator within said tube, and means for adjusting saidregulator having an operable part within said open space.

5. An electric applicator comprising a tube closed at one end; a heatingelement in the closed end of the tube; a closure of insulating materialin the open end of said tube and electric conductors extending from saidclnosure to said heating element, within said tu e.

6. An electro-thermic applicator comprising a heating element; aheat-responsive, current-controlling regulator directly within the fieldof said heating element and means to connect another current-heatedapplicator in circuit with the current controlling element of the firstapplicator.

7. An electro-thermic-applicator comprising anelongated tube of uniformdiameter, closed at one end; a heating element in the closed end of thetube leaving the major portion of the tube unheated so as to remainrelatively cool, and an electro-thermic responsive device connected withsaid element to automatically prevent dangerous increase of currentsupplied to said element.

8. An electro-thermic applicator comprising an elongated tube closed atone end; a heating element therein localized at said closed end, leavingthe major portion of the tube relatively unheated; a current regulatorfor automatically preventing dangerous increase of current in saidheating element and electric conductors, assing through the unheatedpart of the tu e, connecting said elements to a circuit containing saidcurrent regulator.

9. An electro-thermic applicator comprising an operating head; means forsupporting said head; means for heating said head; a current controllingapparatus to automatically prevent dangerous increase of currentsupplied to the heating means; and wires passing through said headsupporting means for connecting said heating means with said automaticcurrent regulator.

I 10. An electro-thermic-applicator comprising a tube closed at one end;a heating element in the closed end of the tube leaving the majorportion of the tube relatively unheated; electric conductors p a s sin gthrough the unheated portion of the tube and a terminal head on the openend thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

TIODOLF LIDBERG.

